Life Reborn
by FantasyEmpress
Summary: The subjects say general cause I couldn't decide what genre this would be. Rated T for safety. This could be considered a continuation of Rethinking life, but I like that as a oneshot. Jack Sparrow is gonna be a father.


**I'm pretty sure there is a St. Nicholas Abbey in Barbados in the Caribbean, but it might just be a sugar mill. Whatever. I just randomly looked up Caribbean abbeys on the net, and picked one that seemed to make since. No copyright infringement ever intended.**

Jack paced the cabin, nervous to the extreme. Gibbs was running back and forth, fetching various things and swigging rum. Jack finally got annoyed and grabbed the jug from him, finishing it all in one gulp and ordering Gibbs to get more. Anamaria, who had rejoined the crew two months before, laughed at Jack. "Jack, don't worry, she's strong, she'll be fine." Jack just grabbed the rum Gibbs handed him and tipped it back. Elizabeth sat up in the bed, sweat running down her face. "Jack, bring that here!" "No luv, you can't drink. It's bad fer Junior." "Jack, I'm in labor! "Junior" is past being hurt by rum! And I need it!" Jack looked to Anamaria questioningly. "She's right Jack, it won't hurt the kid. She can have some." Jack cringed as Elizabeth went through another pain. It hurt him to see her in so much pain. He handed her the rum.

Anamaria claimed to have delivered several babies, though she also claimed it was not something she enjoyed. Apparently she had ended up several times being near women who were giving birth alone in Tortuga and was not quite hardhearted enough to leave them. However, she seemed delighted to be able to deliver Jack's child. Jack and Anamaria had mostly been good friends throughout the years, except for one short, drunken fling, and now she and Elizabeth were like sisters. Elizabeth knew about all Jack's previous affairs, but she also knew he had chosen, without her even asking, to remain faithful to her. And now, she would bear Jack his first child, at least that they knew about. Elizabeth often told Jack she wouldn't mind if someone showed up someday claiming to be Jack's child. As long as he or she was conceived before Jack and Elizabeth's marriage, she didn't care.

Time passed, and Jack grew more and more anxious. The first time Elizabeth screamed, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He felt sick. Jack knew how many women died in childbirth, and it scared him to death. He had never really loved a woman before Elizabeth, and the idea of losing her made him feel like he could die. However, he also knew that Elizabeth was not like most women who died in childbirth. They were usually pampered and spoiled. Elizabeth was strong and hardy from months on a ship, climbing rigging and lifting her share of heavy cargo. She had refused to be lazy during her pregnancy, even when he tried to make her rest. Now he was glad for that.

Jack wondered what it was like to be a father. Would he enjoy it? He wondered if it would be a boy or a girl. He wondered if he cared. He liked the idea of a boy, but a girl would be great too. Jack went over to the bed and let Elizabeth nearly break his fingers during the next pain.

Elizabeth looked to Anamaria. "Ana, how much longer? I can't take much more." "Not much more, Liz. You're gonna be fine." Jack looked at Anamaria anxiously. She smiled as Elizabeth groaned and squeezed Jack's hand in a death-grip. "She's fine; it'll only be a bit longer."

Another twenty minutes passed, marking twelve long hours of labor. Anamaria called Jack, who was pacing again, over to the bed. "I can see the head. Just a bit more Liz. You're gonna be alright. Now, push!" Elizabeth groaned and arched her back, pushing with the last of her strength. Jack gritted his teeth as she squeezed his hand. Darn, all the work throughout all the time she'd been on his ship had strengthened her grip incredibly.

Suddenly, Elizabeth screamed, nearly causing Jack to faint. Then, she lay back, releasing Jack's hand and going frighteningly limp. Then Jack heard the tiny cry of a newborn. Looking nervously at Elizabeth, he then glanced toward Anamaria, who held a tiny, slimy, crying baby. "Jack, look! You have a son!" Even as Jack tried to absorb this, Elizabeth's weak but happy voice assured him she was alive. "A son, Jack. I can't believe it." Jack felt like himself again. She was alright! She was going to be okay! "Yea, I bet those nuns wouldn't believe it either, luv.' Elizabeth smiled wearily. Anamaria looked curious, but Jack just grinned and shook his head. Anamaria wrapped the baby in a blanket that Elizabeth had made and handed him to his weary mother. Anamaria then went back down to the foot of the bed. "What are you doing, Ana?" Jack asked, still a bit worried. "She'll bleed quite a bit more, Jack. This is actually the most dangerous time for most women, but I think Liz will be fine, she's not bleeding anything more than afterbirth." Jack looked scared. "Jack, I'll be fine. Calm down. I feel tired, but not like I'm dying. And Jack, I've been close to death several times. I'm okay. Anamaria knows what she's doing. Now, what should we name this little fellow?"

Jack immediately set about thinking of a good name. Elizabeth grinned weakly at Anamaria, who just shook her head at how easily Jack was distracted. "We could name him Will, but then he might be very impulsive and slightly stupid." Elizabeth glared, since she didn't like Jack insulting Will. "We could name him Davy, but naming out son after Davy Jones might be considered bad luck by the crew. We could name him… I don't know, luv. Wait! What was the name of the abbey where we uh…" Elizabeth blushed, but then laughed. "It's perfect Jack! St. Nicholas Abbey! We'll name him Nicholas, in honor of the place of his conception." Anamaria burst out laughing. "He was conceived in an abbey?!? How did that happen?!?" Jack started laughing too. "Gracious Ana, I'd think you would know how that happened!" Elizabeth watched them with a grin, then, as they kept laughing and joking, turned to the nursing newborn. She couldn't believe that she had a son. The son of Captain Jack Sparrow. Softly, she leaned toward one little ear. "Welcome to the world. I love you, Nicholas Jack Sparrow."


End file.
